Day: August 9, 2017

The washing machine broke down last weekend and it was the washing machine’s fault that I had to get up early this morning.

When the service centre booked me in for today’s service/repair visit I didn’t flinch or protest as the laundry was piling up and I don’t have many clothes these days.

But when the service/repair man rang last night to schedule a 7.30am time-slot on a forecast of a perfect sunny winter day, I shuddered. It was only when I was eating breakfast that I saw the golden light reflecting off the townhouse windows opposite my balcony that I realised I should have been outside the back gate photographing the sunrise. I was too late when I went downstairs and out the car park entrance. The sun had already risen and was doing it’s very best to put a golden spotlight on the landscape.

What a shame I don’t live on the eastern side of the building I thought. I would have seen the prospect of a sunrise before I’d even dressed for the day. I would probably have left the camera set up on a tripod with polished lens and settings just perfect for a sharply focused image from my lounge room window.

I looked more to the south and saw the sky had faded into buttermilk (from its brilliant golden hue). I forgot to check the Sony’s settings and just fired off a few shots regardless (as I was still half asleep). This resulted in several dirty spots left over from trying to photograph the sky on a recent rainy day. I had a bit of spot erasing to do before I could upload the images into this post. To be honest the silhouettes weren’t that sharp in focus either. I must have been shivering a bit while holding the camera in front of my glasses.

Far into the distance a solitary hot air balloon drifted across the winter sky (and I can now see I missed erasing the spots on the left hand side of this image 🙂 ).

It reminded me of the many dawn skies I had seen from the 3rd floor balcony of my previous apartment on the north-east side of Melbourne. Back then, it was the sound of Doves on my balcony fence rail that often woke me early in the morning and I chanced upon the sight of such beautiful dawns they took my breath away. Not only that, the hot air balloons hovered right overhead in that home location.

Here’s a few shots from the archives to refresh long-time follower’s memories.

Dawn on a perfect winter day in 2016.

I noticed this morning there were small birds everywhere on the trees in front of my current apartment balcony and despite chirping their very best, the sound would never have awoken me these days, as I haven’t woken at dawn in the 11 months I’ve now lived in this western suburb of Melbourne.

Shame about that as the recent foggy mornings would have cast a ghostly mist in Frogs Hollow Nature Reserve and over the Maribyrnong River just 5 minutes walk down the hill from my current back door and made for some lovely atmospheric images.

Needless to say, after the repair man had left for his next scheduled job, I started nodding off trying to download the images I hurriedly made earlier and eventually, decided to go back to bed as I’d had an unsettled night with only a few hours sleep.

I awoke at midday and after a quick lunch I’ve missed the best part of this Winter’s perfect day no. 3.

Time to set off on a walk in the nearby river path as it’s too late to go further afield (as I’d originally planned last night).